Forgot To Think

"Wliv (lid yon (lo tlint w lien í liad expií sly torbidilcn II y Answtr m üt ollCe." Tlie volee was luirsli and tlircatening, the fice was rluslied mid angí v, and in tile upUÍU'd liaiul was a t-tick sulficieiitly large to Imve beatón out ihe life of t lie trciiiblinjr little rulprit wliose frijiliteneil bina pyatwerc laised cnlreatinglv to the face ol I lie imlignant inotlier, as 1 spite of fiar be answered her tlie siuiple trtitli : "HiCiu-r, nianuna, I forgot to think." "Foigoi to thlnk, did yon? Wel I, I mentí now tu ni ve yon nometbtiiK tliat will intikt y. n reniember (o think n tlie futme " And llifii tollowed ii oone whlcli it is Imrd to Uiink of ai oue fíen occumng n i country wlilcli bouuts of lis civilization, and ainong Kme of tbe mnst refpected of ite citirns. A few ininulct later a liltlc quWerlMf! of hmnanity lay 8obl)ing in oue corner of a comfi naide i-ota wliich was jraily decorated wlth tldieí, añil an aiifíry inotlicr vvas trying to gtlll tlie inwurd motlierly feelinf; wlilch was uneasy because ot ttie treatrnentshe liad glveu lier boy, by lieaping still inore abuse on h unproiected liead. "In uil the world tbere was uot sucb a thoui;litlesseliild, or one wlio cared lt-ss for lils motlier's uislics. Ht was po bad tliat alie lnaost deapaired ver making anything of bini, ind iba was a8liained ot' liim evtry day of ber litv." Hard 8ieeclKs for a little fellow to hear, wlio ivas still sobbinj: from plryslcal pa! ti, wuren't they ? Tliis is not an overdrawn picture, but totnelhins wbicb occnrrccl in a neijrliboiing door-yard, and to wbicb I was an eye tness. Tlie woinau was not an "(innatural uiotber," hut one u lio lovtil lier boy dearly, was vm y induljront at times, was ilUellfcttlal, urll liked by all who kliew ber, and a congelen tious ebureb member. 'Ibis degradlng scene waa enacted btrause she, llke bt-r little by, 'forjfot to think,'' but sbe will not be o brave iibont owning to ber fault. Ber cruel after ppecebes were delivered not because slie believed tnem, but because fbc "forgot to tbink1' bow inlserably fnlse tliey were. 8be was nervous from overwork, and whon ber boy ' forrot to Ibink" of wbat liad told biiu, phe "l'orgot to tliitik" whether tliere miglit nut be orne betler meibod of niakin; liini remember, wbeie tbe beroic mctliod liad so olten proved a falluie. It muy be wbeu nlglit carne and ber boy was quietly sleeping and sbe liad become a littie raated, tbat sbe bad time to tliink, and ber lieart would acbe for the little fellow. V'ery likely sbe would reprove herself for ber harshness anl resol ve tobe more tender and considérate wilb liim In tlie future, but tbe very next time tbat be would happen to be d'isohcdientwhen sbe was nervous, or tired, or eróse, sbe would "forget to tbink" again, and tlie sanie miserable scene would be repeated, and one step more would be taken away from the patb wbicb leads to a knowledge oí tbe beauties or cblid(.ulture. Oh, if tbere were only soine way to teach inotbcr8 to remember to tbink, bow mncli more perfeclly could they accompllah tbe duties wbicb are tbeirs to perform, and bow mucb less often would tllCV lililí t TI xj'irv líl Vl.unll tu 11,,, Will